Flora of New Zealand Series

Epacris rosmarinifolia Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 13.

Type locality: Dusky Sound. Type: BM? Gottingen?

Erect, much-branched, up to ± 5 dm. tall; branches rather close-set. ± 10-15 cm. long, ascending; branchlets terminated by tufts of lvs, bark reddish brown. Sheath ± 7-12 mm. long, abruptly to gradually narrowed into lamina (2)-3-4-(5) cm. × 1-2-(3) mm., tapering to blunt or subacute apex; margins minutely ciliolate. Fls solitary on short lateral branchlets near tips of branches; bracts short, broad. Sepals narrow-ovate, margins pale, minutely ciliolate; corolla-tube c. 6 mm. long, lobes triangular; anthers not or hardly exserted. Capsule depressed-obovoid, 5-valved.

DIST.: S. Montane to subalpine shrubland, herbfield, western Otago to Fiord-land.

Oliver (loc. cit. 1952, 5) remarks: "The plant from Key Summit is more slender in all its parts than those from other localities and has shorter, narrower leaves."